Windows XP SP4 Could Easily Become Dangerous, Expert Says

As we reported to you a couple of days ago, the Windows community is hard at work on what is being described as the fourth service pack for Windows XP, which is actually a pack of updates and security fixes released by Microsoft for embedded systems after April 8.

Some of these patches also work on Windows XP, so bundling them into a single installer that takes care of everything sure comes in handy to many users.

But as far as Chris Boyd, malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes, is concerned, such an effort could actually lead to more threats for Windows XP users.

While he reckons that the project could help keep some XP machines fully up to date, it can easily lead to the creation of fake service packs, which could be used by cybercriminals to hijack computers that are yet to be upgraded to a newer operating system.

“As always with this type of thing, unfortunately what starts out as a project with altruistic intentions, has the potential for hijacking by those with nefarious goals,” he was quoted as saying by PC Pro.

“Training PC owners to get comfortable with any OS updates using the word 'unofficial' in the name could backfire and open the door for malicious installs.”

Truth is, it’s not too difficult to create a fake package claiming to install Windows XP updates and instead drop malware on a target computer, so if you do decide to install this unofficial service pack, make sure that you check the download links twice before anything else.